MannyL,
Everyone’s given you good advice so far. I don’t know how much will help, but I can tell you what I did to lose weight.
Strict diets never worked for me. I could last maybe a few weeks before I went back to my old eating habits, and usually I gained back all of the weight I had lost, if not more. So when I tried to lose weight a few years ago I tried a more gradual approach.
First, I got a notebook and kept track of everything I ate during the day. I was surprised when I would read the list every night – it turned out that I was eating a lot more than I thought. That kind of made it more real to me that I was overeating (if that makes sense).
I figured out how many calories I needed to eat each day in order to lose weight, and I used a calorie-counter book to calculate how much was in each meal. If you’re interested in getting one, you can find one in most bookstores. The newer ones often have listings for restaurants, too. Many fast food places post lists with nutritional information and/or have booklets that you can take with you. I have several of these from fast food places, and they’re usually available if you ask.
Read the nutritional information on the foods you eat. IMHO, this is a good habit for everyone to get into, whether dieting or not. Sometimes a certain food may be low in calories, but higher in fat or sodium. IIRC, a good guideline is to try to keep your fat content to 30 percent of your day’s calories. I used to know exactly how to calculate fat grams to calories, but I’ll have to look it up again. If you can find foods that are lower in fat, that will not only help you lose weight, but it will probably be better for your cholesterol level as well.
Try to keep lots of fruits and vegetables in the house for snacks. Do you drink beverages with artificial sweetners in them? Drinking things like Crystal Light and diet soda (and water, of course) will cut out hundreds of calories a day.
You may be able to substitute other foods for your favorite snacks. Try air-popped popcorn or pretzels instead of potato chips. If you have a chocolate craving, get a bag of miniature candy bars and eat one of those instead of eating a big bar. Lowfat frozen yogurt can be substituted for ice cream. There are lots of things you can try so that you don’t feel you’re taking away too much.
This is going to sound strange, but I only lost weight when I stopped dieting. Instead of cutting out all of my favorite foods, I allowed myself to have them from time to time in moderation. I’ve found that the less I eat these high-calorie foods, the less I miss them. I don’t think I’ve eaten potato chips in over six months, and I don’t miss them at all.
Don’t weight yourself every day. Your weight fluctuates slightly, and if you don’t see a weight loss (or see a slight gain) it’s possible to get discouraged. Instead, try to weigh yourself maybe once a week on a designated day. You’re more likely to see a change that way.
Pay attention to why you’re eating. I found that sometimes I was eating out of depression or boredom, even though I wasn’t hungry. If you eat when you get nervous, bored, etc., try grabbing a low-fat snack instead. Better yet, go for a walk if you can. I’ve found that walking is a great way to relieve stress.
Above all, don’t try to starve yourself. It’s not healthy and you’ll only end up gaining the weight back as soon as you go off the diet. Try to eat in moderation, don’t cut calories too sharply and make sure you exercise – even walking a mile or two a few times a week will work wonders. I lost 25 pounds just by cutting out a few hundred calories and walking a few miles each day, and I’ve kept it off for three years.
I hope I was some help with this. Good luck, MannyL, and let us know how you’re doing! 